DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Treasure %oom ! a Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from Duke University Libraries http://www.archive.org/details/deismfairlystate01lond DEISM FAIRLY STATED, AND FULLY VINDICATED FROM THE GROSS IMPUTATIONS AND GROUNDLESS CALUMNIES O F MODERN BELIEVERS. WHEREIN Some of the Principal Reasons contained in Dr. Benson's Anfwer to Chriftianity not founded on Argument are fully confidered, and proved to be far from conclufive. In a LETTERto a FRIEND. By a Moral Philosopher For Modes of Faith let gracelefs Zealots fight. His can't be wrong v2/, / think you are an honefi Infidel!^ Now, tho' 1 profefs I never took it ill at your Hands, yet, I aiT..re you, it gave me Concern, to find myfelfthus fligmatized; and at the fame time, in Confcience, obliged to differ from my mod valu- able Friends; and particularly from yourfelf, of whofe Parts and Integrity, I had Reafon to have the higheft Efteem. However, it was attended with one happy Confcquence, viz. It put me on a fcrious Re-examination of the Motives to my entertaining thofe exploded Sentiments, and the Jullnefs of chofe Reafonings upon which they were grounded. Much about the time I was deprived of your Converfation, I was in the midft of thofe my Refearches, and, not having you any longer to have recourfe to, I applied myfelf, in the mod impartial and unprejudiced Manner, to the reading fuch Chriftian Writers as had obtained the greateft Reputation, both for found Judgment and nervous Reafoning. But, after all, not having found whereon ( 3 ) whereon to refl: the Sole of my Foot, as a confiil- ent Chriftian, and an honefli Mvin, in the fame Perfon, I could think of no better Expedient, than to return to you, for a Solution of thole weighty Objedions, which appear infolvablt to me. Before I proceed to anfwer the repeated Calls and Invitations of fuch of your Chriftian Brethren, as have moft Reafon to be confident of the Good- nefs of their Caufe, by freely producing to public Confideration thofe ftrong Objedlions, as they (by way of Contempt) are pleafed to call them ; I beg leave to lay before you my Complaint againft foine of them, for very injurious Treatment of their Adverfaries; of whom I may fay, and, furely, with your Approbation, they are too pofitive and angry to do Service to any Caufe ; even thai of the Heathens they affedl fo much to defpife. That there is fuch a thing as true Religion, how differ- ently foever IVIen may think concerning it, I no more doubt of, than I do of my own Exiftence ; but the Gentlemen 1 refer to are very politivc it confifts, fome, in one Set of Opinions ; and fome, in another j and all are unanimous, (which very rarely happens where Unanimity is requifite) in fuppofmg that Integrity of Heart, and Regularity of Life, in thofe who diffent from them, will leave them ftill fhort of a well-grounded Hope of Salvation, while they continue toqueftion, whethe/ certain fpeculative Truths, and uninveftigable Foinf- (4) Points of Faith, (which they are pleafed to call Fundamentals) may not be Matters of Indifference. And in the too vigorous Exercife of this their Zeal without Knowledge, they have not been afhamed, in the Face of the World, to make the groffeft Imputations to, and raife fuch Calumnies againft, the Deifts, as are not only groundlefs, but appa- rently ftupid and ridiculous. Thus, among many that might be produced, the celebrated Dr. JVa~ ierland^ in his fecond Charge to has this re- markable Sentence : " What Atheifm chiefly aims *' at isy to fit loofe from prefent Reflraints and fu- ^' ture Reckonings 'y and thefe two Purpofes may be ^' competently ferved hy Deifin^ which is a more re^ " fined Kind of Athelftn'' Aftonifhing AiGTertion ! fince, if what Atheifm chiefly aims at, be to fit loofe from prefent Reflraints, and future Reckon- ings ; then a fincere Belief of the Exiflence of a God, and of an impartial Diftribution of Rewards and Punifhments, in another World, and a Prac- tice that naturally refults from, and is confonant to fuch Belief, and which ftridly and properly is true Deifm, this, furely, is the grand Barrier, the prin- cipal Obflru6tion, to the obtaining the chief Aims and Purpofes of Atheifm •, and confequently, the true Deifl, who has a fleady Belief of the Exifl- ence of a God, and of his being accountable to him for his A6lions, is, by fuch Belief, brought under all thofe Reflraints, and expeds that future Reckoning, which naturally flows from it. And 515 certainly as a Deifl believes the Exiflence of a God, ( 5 ) God, and the confequent Obligations he is under, to pradlife the Duties neceflarily arifing from the Relations he (lands in to him ; fo certainly he be- lieves, all the prefent Reftraints from Sin, and from violating the Laws of his Maker, his Reafon and Nature, which he finds himfelf under, to be greatly reafonable •, and confequently will, with the higheft Pleafure, make it the great Bufinefs of his Life to keep himfelf from breaking thro' Re- ftraints, which he thus perceives the Equity and Reafonablenefs of. Deifm therefore is fo far from being a more refined Kind of Atheifm, nay from having the leaft remote Relation thereto, as to be juft as diametrically oppofite to it, as the very be- •Jieving is to the abfolute Difbelief of the Exiftence of a God! Deifm, properly fo called, whatever ill Ufage it may hav^e met with, is no other than the Religion effential to Man, the true, original K.e- ligion of Reafon and Nature ; fuch as was believed and pradifed by Socrates, and others of old, who were as great Ornaments, and did as much Honour, tp human Nature, as any Chriftians ever did •, nor is it pofiible for true Religion to be otherwifc, whilft God who formed our Faculties, and in their Meafure adjufted them to it, conti- nues to be immutable, and Man continues to be a rational Being. And it is in Deifm, properly fo called, that our more difcerning and rational Divines have con- ftantly placed the alone Excellency, and true Glory, of (6) of the Ghriftian Inftitution. *' Hoe Religion df the •* Gofpet is the Iruc^ original Religion of Reafon Mid '-Nature" fays Dr. Sherlock. And in another i^art of the fame Sermon, viz. that preached be- fore the Society for propagating the Gofpel in fo- reign Parts, he fays, " Since then the Bo^rine of *' Repentance^ with which the Gofpel fet out in the *' World y had reference to the Law of Reafon and *' Nature" ( as he had excellently fhewn before that it had) *^ againfi which Men had every where •' offended 'y and fine e Repentance infers the Necef- *' fity of a- future Reformation^ and a Return to *' that Duty and Obedience from which by Tranf- ** grejjion we are fallen ; the Confequence is mani- *' fifth ^^-^^'>^> '^^^^ ^^'^ Gofpel was a Republication of *' the Law of Nature^ and its Precepts declarative *' of that original Religion which was as old as the " Creation" And in Page 21, he ingenuoufly owns, " // is true alfo^ that there are fome InfiitU" *' tions in the Gofpel^ which in their own Nature *' are no confiituent Parts of Religion^ And with great Submiffion I will venture to add, that the fame may be faid, for aught that appears to the contrary, of fome BoEirines of the Gofpel ; which Doftrines, together with the Inftitutions referred to, may be faid to conftitute pure Chriftianiiy^ by way of Contradiftindlion to pure natural Religion. Mr. Chandler^ in his Dedication to a Sermon preached in the Oldjury^ Page 8, fays, " Jfna- *' tural Religion is not Part of the Religion of ChrifV, *'.'/ij fcarce worth while to enqidre at all what his " Religion ( 7) *« Religion h.^* From whence it fecms ver; natural to^ -nferi ihat the other Parts of the Religion of Chtiy arc fcarce worih any thing ?.t all of our No- tice. S':^ excellent and glorious a F?.rt of the Chriftian. Inftitution, then is true Deifm, or pure natural Religion, as adopted into, ^nd propofed to be incorporated with it. Now what I have cited from thofe judicious Divines, which fodiredlly prove the Abfurdity of Dr. fFakrIa?7d's extravagant Al- fertion, I beg leave to add that notwithftanding all the abfurd and bitter th. it have been falfly laid to its Charge, by the D id -thers, De- ifm is all in the Chrillian Inftitu. can "of- fibly approve itfelf to the true, geiiu., ' f Man. Every thing in the Gofpel, enjoin. n Vofeflbrs to be believed, as a rational Doctrine, ^radifed as a natural Duty, relating to God, • at Neighbour, or 6urfelvcs, is a conftituent, an efll^ntial Part of Deifm, or of true, that is, natu- ral Religion. Now the fingle Queftion here, be- tween Chriftians and Drifts, I conceive to be this, namely, Whether the Belief of natu»'al Dodlrines, and the Pradlice of natural Duties/ ^ all that is ftviaiy neceiTary, with 'regard to the divine Appro- barion ; and confequently, human Happinefs, both prtfent and eternal ? To the Solution of thefe mo- mentous Points, the ferious ConCderation of the following Propofitions may have no inconfiderabic Tendency. I. Every ( s) I. Every Duty, that indifpenfibly obliges a Man to the Performance of it, mud be founded on fome apparent natural Reafon ; for unlefs there be fuch a Reafon for the Belief of a Propofition, or perforniing an Aftion, whence arifes the Obliga- tion to either ? IL The Reafon on which the Obligation to the Difcharge of a Duty is founded, necefiarily refults from the Relation the Perfon to perform it (lands in to the Party to whom it is to be performed. III. If the Reafon of a Duty arlfeth from the Relation fubfifting between the Parties concerned, then 'tis obvious, every fuch Duty has its Founda- tion in the Nature of Things. IV. Whatfoever elfe goes under the Denomi- nation of Duty, cannot really be fuch ; but mufl: have, by fome unwarrantable Means or other, that Name (in ftrid Reafon unalienable^ facrilegi- oufly imputed to it. For were it really what ic is pretended to be, 'uiz, a Duty, it mufl, accord- ing to the preceding Propofition, have its Foun- dation in the Nature of Things ; and as certainly as it is not therein founded, the Obfervation of it as a Duty, in order to fecure the Favour of God, and eternal Salvation, fcems to be unneceiTary, and mere Superftition. V. Natural (9) V. Natural Datles only are capable of being perceived by us to be Duties ; thefe having their Foundation in Nature, and the Reafon of Things themfelves, arc, in a Degree proportionable to our refpeclive Faculties, to be traced out by us ; but whatever has not its Foundation there, and is but authoritatively aflerted to be a Duty, can never poffibly be perceived by us to be fo, and muft necefllirily be derived from Superftition cr En- thufiafm. VI. That adorable Being! who in infinite Wif- dom created us with reafoning Powers and Facul- ties, very limited and confined, will, in Juflice, require of us a Condudl, but proportionate to the Abilities of Perception and A6lion that we have, and not according to what we have not. So that now, if from the due Confidcration of the above Propofitions, it (hould be thought fjffi- ciently to appear, that thofe Duties only are ne- cefiliry to be believed and praftifed by us, the Reafons of which we perceive to be founded ia Nature ; and the Difcharge of which, in the beft Manner we can, is intimately connedled with our Happinefs, and the Approbation of him, whofe Favour is better than Life ; then it will follow. That if any thing elfe is enjoined as a Duty, in any, even in the Chriftian Inftitution, it cannot be necefiary to be obferved, in order to eternal Salvation. And as every Doclrine or Precept of C the ( lo) the Gofpel, that has its Foundation difcernable in Nature, is an efiential and conftituent Part of the Religion of Nature, or Deifm ; fo Deifm is all, in the Chriftian Inftirution, that can poflibly approve itfelf, to the true, genuine Reafon of Man. Let then the Waterlands^ the Warlurtom^ and the Stehhings of the Age, if not for the fake of Mo- defty, yet for the lake of the high Charader they afiume as Emhajfadors of Christ, no longer fub- ftitute Scurrility, and Sophiftry, in the room of Reafon and Argument •, but if they mud be writing againfl the Deifts, let them do ir, by fairly denying their real Principles, and openly avowing, and defending the contrary to them. "What Honour they would refle6l by this honefl: Procedure, on the Religion they profefs, will ob- vioufly appear, by confidering a few fundamental Principles of the Deifts, the oppofite to which, it will then fall to their Lot to maintain. L There is a God *, that is, a neceflarily-exift- ing, felf-fuflicient, and an infinitely perfect Beings who is, in and of himfelf, infinitisly happy. II. Infinite Happinefs, confidered as efiential to the Deity, appears to be the- Refult of the Contemplation of his own efiential Perfedlions, and a pure Confcioufnefs of an invariable Conform- ity in AfFedtion and Adion, to Truth. III. Truth, abftracledly confidered, lias a ne- cefiary ccflary Exlflence in Nature, independent of, and, in the Order of our Conceptions, prior to, the Will of any Being whatever. IV. To us, the only conceivable Motive the fupreme Being could have to create us, and every odier Species of intelligent Beings, was that of communicating Happinefs to us, and them. V. Rational and intelligent Creatures are capa- ble of being in their Mcafure happy, as God is happy, but only, as in their Meafure they are pure, as He is pure: Or, in other Words, as they confcientioufly conform themfdves to the Law of Truth, and difcharge the Obligations of Reafon. VI. As, by our very Frame and Conftitution, we are rendered incapable of Perfedlion, fo the kind Author of our Beings, who could not make us but to be happy, will gracioufly accept a fin- cere Defire, and Endeavour, to know and do what is right, and Penitence and Amendment, in all thofe Inftances in which it appears to us we have done otherwife ; this being the neareft Approach to Perfedion, that, in our prefent State, we are capable of. VII. To afpire after rational Happinefs, the fame in Kind with that of the Deity, by an hum- ble Imitation of him, in all his imitable moral Perfections, ( 12 ) Perfedions, is the only End of all true Religion. He therefore who really believes the Being of a God 5 that he is pofTefTed of every poffible Per- fedlion ; that he is neceflarily happy in the Confci- oufnefs of the Perfedion of his Being, and the ab- folute Rectitude of his whole Nature \ th^it be- lieves like wife there is Truth in oppofition to Falfhood, that it has a neceifary Exiftence in Na- ture, and v/ho in his Meafure regards it too, in the Whole of his Conducl, and thereby afpires to aflimilate himfelf to the Deity in Re6litude and in Blifs, that is, aims by being pure as God is pure, to become happy as he is happy ; is a truly religious Man, a proper Objecl of Divine Com- placence, a promifmg Candidate for Heaven, and the refined, intelledtual Joys of that unknown, tho* certain and immortal, State of Exiftence. Having propofed diis equitable Method, for thofe Gentlemen I have complained of, to regard in their dealing v/ith the Deift, I fhall enter upon what I intended, namely, the propofmg to you my Difficulties with regard to Chriftianity, in or- der to obtain Satisfaction ; by making my Objec- tions to thofe Dodlrines that lie out of the reach of our Reafon, to determine of their Truth or Falfe- hood; and thofe Inftitutions, which are confefiedly no conftituent Pares of Religion. As 1 appre- hend it to be the proper Bufmefs of the Under- ftanding, to be chiefly imployed in the great Af- fairs of Religion, becaufe this is the only rational Means ( 13 ) Means of obtaining the fole End of Being, viz. Happinefs ; fo in my Exercifes of this kind I have deemed it my Duty to endeavour to acquire, and therefore have paid a fleady Regard to. Truth ; and whether upon an impartial Examina- tion, I thought I found it among Friends, or Strangers, learned, or illiterate, whether agree- able, or contrary to the Notions I have been edu- cated in, I have treated it with equal Deference and readily embraced it. But as I am not more certain of the Truth of any Propofition than this, viz, I am fallible, and therefore mjay err ; fo I chufe not only to review my Sentiments myfclf, but alfo to call in to my Afllllance a Friend, whofe Ability and Integrity 1 am thoroughly fitis- fied of. I have above obferved, that formerly when I heard you apply the Name, Infidel, to me, it gave me feme Uneafinefs ; but upon a repeated Enquiry into the Reafons of that Uneafi- nefs, I am far from finding there were any jufl ones for it j fo that I venture to tell you, I think my prefent Sentiments may very properly be fliled Deifm, as that imports the Religion of Things, and not of unmeaning, or many meaning Words ; of the Heart, but not of the Book. It is not no- minal, but real, Deifm I now intend ; and by which. Sir, I would fain be underftood to mean, that Religion, which connfts of only fuch Doc- trines and Precepts as appear to have their Foun- dation in Reafon and Nature. And tho* it is faid by fome, that Chriftianity is grounded on natural Religion, and is an Improvement of it-- yet, after all ( 14) all that has been faid to exemplify it, or that has been offered in Proof of it, I cannot poflibly con- ceive how an entire and perfed Structure (which is the Cafe of natural Religion) can only be a Foundation for a perfed Strudture ; or how a per- fe6t Religon can be improved ; or what is effential to Man, can be but of fmall Importance to him, in Comparifon of what is fuperadded, and to which his Underftanding is inadequate. To come to the Point, I think the grand Foundation of the Difference betwixt the Deifts, and the Religious of all other Perfuafions, is, whether any Dodlrine, or Precept, that has not its Foundation apparently in Reafon and Nature, can be of the Effence of Religion, and with Propriety be faid to be a re- ligious Dodrine or Precept, With regard to this Queftion, Chriftians may be put in two Claifes *, 'viz. Firft, Thofe who maintain, that Dodrines and Praclices, which have no Foundation in Rea- Ibn or Nature, may be of the Effence of Religion ; and, fecondly, thofe who maintain, that Dodlrines and Pra6lices, which do not apparently appear to be founded in Nature and Reafon, may yet, notwithdanding, be of the Effence of Religion. Thofe in the firfl Clafs, who maintain that Doc- trines and Pradices, may be of the Effence of Re- ligion, tho' not founded in Nature and Reafon, fecm to be drav/n into it, from a miilaken Notion. of the divine Sovereignty •, which they imagine will be properly exercifed by the Deity, in doing and commanding what is repugnant to all his other Periedions. Ziglovius^ a Butch Author, has on ( 15) on this Principle affirmed, *' Hoat God may^ if he " fleafe^ out of the vaft Sovereignty of his WiiU *' command all that Wickednefs which he has for- " bidden^ and make it our Duty ; and alfo for^ ** hid all that Holinefs which he hath cc?n?nanded^ " and make it become Sin to us^^ This is to re- prefent that adorable Being, who is infinitely per- fedl, as being perfectly capricious ; and (tupidly endeavouring to raife the Glory of one of God's Attributes, on the Ruin of the reft. Thofe Chrif- tians of the fecond Clafs fo far agree with the De- lfts, as to own that God, who is infinite in Know- ledge, and can never know things to be otherwife than they are in themfelves, cannot pollibly confi- der, nor conftitute any Dodrine or Precept, to be of the Eflence of Religion, which is not fo in itfelf, as not being founded in Truth and Reafon. The Law and Religion of Reafon and Nature, they readily acknowledge, as necefilirily contain in them every thing really and truly religious, as the Whole its Parts ; and as neceflarily exclude every thing of a different nature from them, as it is natu- rally different. But then they argue, that as the Religion of Nature, thus abfolutely confidered and in its full Extent, is only known to God, if he fhould be pleafed to make a fupernatural Revelation of fuch Parts of that Law to us, which our unaflifted Reafon could never have difcovered ; fuch a Revelation ought to be gratefully received, and readily acknow- ledged. And tho' no Doftrine, that has not its Foun- dation in Reafon and Nature, can be a truly religi- ous ( i6 ) ous Doflrine ; yet Do6lrines that have fuch a Foun- dation ^though that does not appear) may if God pleafes, be communicated to us, either by himfclf immediately, or mediately by his Agents, without any Reflection on, or Repugnancy to, any one of his Attributes. And this, fay they, is the Cafe of all the fpeculative, metaphyfical, and fublime Doftrines contained in the Scriptures, which col- ledively compofe the Chridian Faith j thefe are fo many Revelations of the Law of Nature, which unaflifted Reafon could not difcover ; and though they remain incomprehenfible, and lie out of the Reach of Reafon, yet when that which is imper- fe6fc iliall be done away, and Faith is turned into Vifion, they will then appear to us to be founded in Truth and Reafon. From the Cafe thus fairly dated, I think, it appears, that the Difference betwixt thofe rational Chriftians and the Deifts, will, without any far- ther Trouble, be adjufted, when this Propofition Cwhich Chriftians lay down for a certain Truth) 'VIZ, That the Colle6tion of Writings commonly called the Scriptures are of divine Infpiration, and a Revelation from God to Mankind, be plainly, and clearly, made appear to be fo. Seeing then, it is only feemingly, and but in Appearance, the Deift and the more rational fort of Chriftians dif- pute, whether Dodrines that in themfelves are truly religious, muft as fuch, neceflarily have their Foundation in Reafon and Nature ; the real Queftioii (17) Q^eftion between them is refolved into this, viz, "Whether thofe Scripture Dodrines that cannot be perceived, by Reafon, to have their Foundation in the Reafon and Nature of Things are, not- withilanding, certainly thus founded •, and ought to be aL'owed to be fo, only becaufe they are con- tained in the Scripture. Now the Refolution of this material Queftion altogether depends upon the Proof that is to be made by Chriftians, that the Scriptures are a divine f^) Revelation, and the very Word of God. For if that Point be proved the ControVerfy at once is at an end •, there being no true Dcift, that will hefitate a Moment to allow, ( * ) By divine Revelation, and the very Word of God, is not meant any Light, Information, or Jnftraftion Men may have attained to, touching a Deity, their Duty to him, ^c, from the Confideration of the natural World, and in the due Exercife of their natural Powers, (as the invifible Things of God are clearly perceived by his Works, being underftood by the Things that are made) ; but fuch Light, Liformation, or Inltrudlion as has been communicated to Men, in and b/ fome immediate, particular, and fpecial Lnterpofition of the Deity, for that Purpofe ; this is, properly fpeaking, divine Revelation, and the very Word of God. Neverthelefs, aa all moral or religious Principles, that are founded in Reafon, are worthy of God, and agreeable to him ; fo thefe, in a very loofe and improper Senfe, may be called divine Revela- tion, what way foever we attain to the Knowledge of them : And therefore, not to contend about Words, let it be ad- mitted to call fuch Principles divine Revelation, only let it be remembered, that all 'fuch Principles have an equal Title to be called a divine Revelation, ufmg the Terms in the {^me Senfe, whatever Writing or Book they may be contained in. D that ( i8 ) that what God faith is Truth, becaufe he knows all things, and therefore cannot err himfelf, nor will he deceive, or impofe upon us. In order then to a proper Determination of this momentous Af- fair, the Reafons, upon which the Belief of the di- vine Original of the Scriptures is built, are to be produced, by the Chriftians on one Side, in all their Weight ; and to be examined, by the Deifts on the other, widi that Impartiality, and Indif- ference to every Opinion, as fuch -, which alone can properly denominate them Lovers of Truth. But alas! alas! here v/e have a furprifing In- ftance of the want of Unanimity among Chrifti- ans, where it feems to be fo peculiarly requifite, that without it, they muft not only exped to fail of convincing the Deifts of the Truth of their Caufe, but alfo render it a doubtful Point whe- ther they are rationally convinced of the Truth of it themfelves. For if we begin with the Roman Catholics, who have vaftly the Advantage in point of Numbers, and plainly aflc them. How know you the Scriptures (which with them in- cludes the Apocryphal Books) to be the Word of God? theyanfwer. By the Teftimony of the Church, and affure us we cannot be certain of it, by any other Argument. This Anfwer of the Catholics to the Queftion propofed, is fo wide of the Pur- pofe, to fadsfy an honeft Enquirer, of the Reality of the Infpiration and Infallibility of the Scrip- tures, that it fatisHes him, he is only to exped:, fallible. ( '9 ) fallible, human Teftimony in Proof of it. Tb§ Weaknefs, and Abfurdity of this Method of Proof, has been fo fully fhewn, by fonie eminent Protcft- ants, as to render it perfe(5lly needlefs, for Deifts, to make any Repetition of what is fo generally- known and approved. It will therefore be proper to proceed to the Examination of feme of the principal Anfwers vouchfafed us by Proteftants ; I fay, by Proteftants, becaufe tho* they would feem to agree in that general Propofition, viz. The Scriptures are known to be the Word of God by themfelves, in Oppofition to the Papifts, who fay they are known to be fo only by the Tcfti- mony of the Church ; yet they really differ as widely one from another, as from ths Papifts ; not only in laying the Foundation, but in their refpeclive Superftrudlures built upon it. One maintaining, that they are known to be the Word of God by themfelves, to thofe only whofe Eyes the Spirit of God is pleafed in a diftinguifhing manner to open, to perceive the certain Cha- raders of divine Trutk in them. Another main- taining, that they are to be known, and will ma- nifeftly appear, to be the Word of God by them- felves, upon an honeft Inveftigation of mere na- tural Reafon, to any Man who fhall impartially cxercife it about them. Mr. Pembk, in his Treatife of Graci and Faith, fays, '^ fFe know the Scriptures are the Word of *' God by the??ifelvesy the Spirit of Cod opening our y Eyes ( 20) *' Eyes to fee thofe natural and lively Chara^ers cf ** divine Truths which are imprinted on thcfe facred *' Volumes. But bow (he afks a little after) doth *' the Holy Ghoft reveal unto us the 'Truth of Scrip- *' ture .?" (he anfv/ers) " By removing thofe Im- " pediments that hinder^ and hy hejlowing thofe *' Graces^ Illumination and San^if cation^ that make '' us capable of this Knowledge." To animadvert upon the particular manner of knowing the Scrip- tures to be the Word of God by themfelves, or by knowing them to be fo, by fomething befides themfclves, as it is befide my prefent Bufinefs, I fhall omit it, and only confider the Propofition in its obvious and dired Meaning. To this Propo- fition then, we know the Scriptures to be the Word cf God by themfelves, as an Anfwer of a Party of Proiefl:ants to the Queftion above, (viz. How know you the Scriptures to be the Word of God?) the P».oman Catholics in their Turn re- ply, that Scripture is delivered to mofl Proteft- ants by Tranflations, and they depend upon the Skill ©f fallible Men, who may err, and of whom it is certain that fome of them have erred, becaufe their Tranflations are contrary : So that according to the PapiPcs, if the Scriptures were primarily and in themfelves the Word of God, yet it does not follow that the tranflated Scriptures of Proteftants are fuch -, as but one of the many Tranflations can be ri2;ht •, and which of them all is that one, can- not certainly be determined ; becaufe the Scrip- tures may have undergone, with all other Al- terations, ( 21 ) tcrations, the Alterations which Language is un^ avoidably liable to ; and confequently, the Scrip- tures of Proteftants cannot be known to be the Word of God by thcmfelves. But admitting that this Objedlion of the Papifts is of no Weight, and that the Scriptures have been truly tranflated from the Languages they were originally written in ; yet, as they have pafTed through the Hands of many Tranfcribers in ihofe Languages, who had it in their Power greatly to corrupt them, and we cannot be certain but they were fo corrupted ; it follows, the Scriptures in thefe latter Ages, can- not pofTibly be proved to be the Word of God by themfelves. And that this Argument may be extended to its utmoft Bounds, ht it be ad- mitted, that the Scriptures have not fuftained any Injury by Tranfcribers; the Queftion will return, How are they to be known to be the Word of God by themfelves ? Is it by their own Teftimony, concerning themfelves? or by the Rea- fonablenefs, and apparent Truth, of each, and all the Dodlrines and Precepts contained in them ? As to the fird, viz. their own Teftimony con- cerning themfelves, this alone cannot be a proper Ground of Credence ; feeing this is as pofitively affirmed of itfelf, by every other traditionary Re- velation throughout the World. Befides, their own Teftimony cannot yield a proper Ground of Convidion to an unbiafTed Enquirer, becaufe thofe Enquirers are not previoufly convinced of the ac- tual Infpiration, and abfolute Infallibility of the fe- vera! ( 22 ) veral Authors of the Scriptures ; this Point indeed once gained, they might certainly know the Scrip- tures to be the Word of God by themfelves ; for an infallible Teftimony of an infpired Author in the Cafe, would efFcdually extinguifh all future Doubt concerning it. But this Aflurance of the Infallibi- lity and Infpiration of the feveral Authors of thofe Books called the Bible, is the very Point in Queftion, and required to be proved ; and of which its own Teftimony concerning itfelf can be no pro- per Evidence. As to the fecond kind of Proofs, viz. TheReafonablenefsand apparent Truth of each of its Do6trines and Precepts refpedlively, this is not fo much as pretended by thofe Proteflants whofe Anfwer we are nov/ particularly confider- ing ; for they propofe not to fee the Charad:er of divine Truth in the Scripture, by any other Means, than that of having their Eyes fuperna- turally opened for that purpofe *, thefe Gentlemen being too much of a piece to exped Proof in any other way. Mere Morality and the bare Exer- cife of our natural Powers in Matters of Religion, they eileem altogether inefFedual with regard ta Salvation ; and things beyond Morality, and out of the Verge of human Reafon, they are fo well aifured are not to be acquired by Reafon, that they afcribe the Acquificion of them, wholly, to the Operation of the Holy Ghoft. And as the Ope- ration of the Holy Ghoft, and the Teftimony grounded upon it, is merely arbitrary, and ex- tends no farther than to him whom it operates up- on 'y { 23 ) on ; fo it cannot poflibly be enquired into, nor be a Ground of Convidion to another. So that this Method of proving the Scripture to be the very Word of God by themfelves, *uiz. by reafoning upon the Subjedt Matter contained in them, falls to the Lot of the rational Divines, the Friends of Liberty, and free Debate ; who own with the Reverend Mr. Chandler, " Tbdtibe " Religion of Chrift muft he underfiood before it can " or ought to he heUeved \ and that it muft he prov* <* ed to he a ccnfiftent and rational Religion, before *' Men can he under any Obligation to receive it'* I fhall chearfully and carefully attend to what they have to offer in Defence of their Hypothefis, and allow their Arguments all their real Weight. The Reverend Mr. ChilUngworth, who was perhaps the greatefl: public Defender the Proteftants ever had to boaft of, in p. 53 of his Religion of Proteftants afafe Way to Salvation, has a Sentence well worth regarding. This great Man interrogates his Ad- verfaries thus, " If Scripture cannot he the Judge *' of any Controverfy, how fJoall that touching the " Church and the Notes of it he determined ? *' Jnd if it he the file Judge of this one, why may it *« not of others ? why not of all ? thofe only excepted^ *' wherein the Scripture itfelf is the Suhje^l of the ' ' Sueftion^ which cannot he determined hut by natural *' Reafon, the only Principle hefides Scripture which «^ is common to Chriftians.'* So that the Principle of the natural Blindnefs of the human Underltanding, and the abfolute Neceffity of its being fjpernatu- rally ( 24 ) Tally illuminated, in order to perceive the Charac- ters of divine Truth in the Scriptures, is wholly cx* eluded, and natural Reafon is affirmed to be the Judge in thofe Controvcrfies, v/here the Scripture iufelf is the Subjedl of them. According to this, great Man then, the Scriptures will appear to be the Word of God to every Man, who, in the bcft manner he can, does exercife his Reafon, in the Perufal of them. If then the great Controverfy^ in which the divine Authority of Scripture is the Subject, cannot be determined but by na- tural Reafon, and natural Reafon can determine as it is here fuppofed j if it determines in its Fa- vour, it muft be, becaufe all the Parts of it are not only proper Subjefls of its Examination, but Jikewife appear when examined to be apparently reafonable. But Matters fupernatural are inca- pable of an Examination by natural Reafon ; and therefore, are incapable of being apparently rea- fonable, or being approved of as fuch by our reafoning Faculties, And if there are fuch fuper- natural Matters in the Scriptures, as I prefume muft be admitted, thefe cannot be pronounced by Reafon (the allowed Judge in the Cafe) to be at all the Word and Revelation of God. Where na- tural Reafon is Judge, it appears to be, if not im- pofiible, at lead highly improbable, that it fliould determine rightly concerning the Truth or Falfe- nefs of fupernatural Matters. And upon the clofeft Infpedion into this grand Affair, I am for the prefent pretty well convinced that not only the ^reat ■ ( 25 ) great Cbillmgworib, but our diftingaifhed Mo- derns, among the rational Divines,- v/ith all their Refinement, are equally gravejled ^X'ith their Pre- deceflbrs, when they come to the DifcuITion of this unmanageable Point, viz, that the Scriptures are known to be. the Word and Revelation of God, upon an honed Inveftigation of mere natural Rea- fc$n, to any Man who fhall impartially exercife it about tliem. For can a thing be but what it is, and yet be more than what it is at the fame time ? can a Man have but the Underftanding of a Man, and yet difccrn that which is quite out of the Reach of the human intellectual Faculties to perceive? which muft be the Cafe, if Man can by his Rea- fori difcern the Truth of a Propofition, that is above his Reafon, or be rationally convinced of the Truth of what lies quite out of the Reach of his reafoning Faculty to form any Judgment at all about. And tho' feme of our Divines have ad- ded to the Evidence arifing from the internal Cha- raflers of the Scriptures, the external Evidences of Prophecies and Miracles, in order to prove the S(^npturcs to be a divine Revelatbn, and the Word of Godv yet thcfe external Evidences fall greatly Hiort of giving proper Proof in the prefent Cafe ; ior '-^ere all the Prophecies that have ever been given forth by Jews, Sibils, Chriflians, or others j and all the Miro^cles th.at have ever been wrought, taken into the Accounr, and con fidered either fe- parately, or colleftlvely, they would fall fhorc of proving all the following Points j namely, that all E thofe (26) tliofe Books, which conftitute that Colkdion af Tradsy commonly called the Bible, were written by the Perfons refpedlively whofe Names they bear \ that the Deity immediately didated to, and imprefied upon, the Mind of each Writer, the Subjed Matter contained therein, effedlually re- ftraining each one from mixing his own Concep- tions, with what had been thus didlated to him •, and that thefe Books have been faithfully tranf- mitted from their refpeclive original Copies down to us, without any Corruption, Alteration, Addi- tion, or Diminution 5 and if Prophecy and Mi- racles fall fhort of proving thefe Points, which moft certainly they do ; then confequently, they fall equally fhort of proving the Scriptures to be a divine Revelation, and the very Word of God« Neverthelefs, as to all thofe intelligible Parts of Scripture, which approve themfelves to the human Underftanding, by obvioufly appearing to have their Foundation in Reafon and Nature, tho' a Deift cannot admit them to be immediately re- vealed in a miraculous and fupernatural Manner, to the refpective Perfons by whom they are exhi- bited to the World ', becaufe it docs not appear to him that they have been proved to be fo, and be- caufe they are to be difcovered to be what they are by the human Underftanding, in the ordinary and natural Ufe of its Faculties ; yet he readily admits that they are worthy and valuable Truths, and willingly pays to them all that Veneration and Regard, which is fuitable to the Dignity and Importance ( 27 ) Importance of the feveral Subjefts they relate to. And as to all the myfterious ^nd unintelligible Parts of Scripture, they are the fame as if they were not, as to any good Purpofe that can be ferved by them ; for as Sr. Paul has juftly ob- ferved, If the trumpet gives an uncertain Sounds ivho Jhall prepare himfelf for the Battled St. PanV% reafoning, i C^r. cap. xiv. on rheSubjecSl of fpeak- ing in an unknown Tongue, is certainly juft, and worthy to be confidered ; and the Cafe is the fame with regard to unintelligible Propofitions. There are, it may be faid (faith the Apoftle Verfes lo, \i,) So many kind of Voices in the Worlds and none of them are 'without Signification, Therefore^ if 1 know not the Meaning of the Voice^ I fhall he to him that fpeaketh a Barbarian •, and he that fpeaketh fhall he a Barbarian unto me. So that according to St. PauU were the Deity to give forth myfterious, and unintelligible Propofitions to his Creatures, he would be a Barbarian to them *, and they would be Barbarians unto him ; but, furely, the Deity will not be fuch a Trifler, and therefore the Suppofition is not to be admitted ; and confequently an unintelligible Propofition gives a clearer and (Ironger Proof that fuch a Propofi- tion is not of divine Authority, than any external Evidence can pofTibly give that it is. So that thofe Gentlemen who undertake to prove the Scrip- tures to be the very Word of God by the Scrip- tures themfelves, if they will eifedually anfwer the real End of this toiJfom Enterprize, are to de- monflratc ( 28 ) monftrate that thofe Parts of Scripture objefled to by the Deids, as unintelligible, now they are re- vealed in the Bible (whatever they may have been before) are on a level with natural Reafon, and are appro\;able by it i for otherwife, how. apparently ridiculous piuft it be to fay, that they are revealed to, and lent in aid of Reafon, and likewife that they are to be judged of by it •, which Point, if I am not miftaken, has been found to beaninfu- perable Difficulty to them. However, let the Matter be brought to a fair Tryal: Thefe, Sir, you know are the weighty Points which for many Years pad have been contefted by the biblical Believers, and iiationalids 5 and to which Side Truth inclines, I mud own, feems to me at prefent no difficult Matter to determine. Many of the Former, it mud be acknowledged to their Praife, have not ufed the circumftantial Advan- tages they were incidentally jn the Pofleffion of, to favour their Ciufe, but have rcfted it upon the fingle Foot of Reafon and i\.rgument -, and being put upon this Foot, the rational Free-think- ers have readily engaged ♦, the Confequence of v/hich has been, that not only the different Schemes tntire, but aUb in all their m.aterial Parts, have been diftiniftly placed, and viewed in all their dif- ferent Points of Light. And by this Means, a true Judgment iiiay have been more cafily formed than before, by Men oF all Degrees that were dif- pofed to judge for thcnifcives, on which Side Truth ( 29 ) Truth (the only valuable End of all our theologi- cal Enquiries) lies. And tho' many great Men on the traditionary Side have difplayed their Abili- ties, and have acquitted themfelves honourably ; yet a Man of your Feneration and Integrity, may poflibly have perceived, that fince all enthufiafti- cal Superiority, and fuperfticious Deference has been difclaimed by them, they, even they, are re- duced to the hard Fate of capitulating, or elfe re- treating under the Covert of idle Didindions and myiterious Darknefs. Fairly producing, and chearrully fubmitting to your Eximination, the Reafons why I think this to be the Cafe, was one of the tv/o principal Motives to my prefenting you with. this Epiflle -, well knowing that if I failed in my Endeavour, you, who I think are, as far as any Man can be, a rational Chriftian, would fhew me in the very Spirit of Religion, wherein I did fo. Nothing then, I think, can have a more probable Tendency to furnifli me with an Op- portunity occaflbnally to offer you my Reafons why Truth beams forth on the Rationahfts, than attending to the Arguments of feme rational Di- vine, who has been generally applauded for diftin- guifhing himfclf in fome important recent Conr troverfy, as much for the Cogency of his Reafon- ing and fair D^raling, as for the Eloquence and Or- der of his Writings. The Controverfy between the ingenious moral Philofopher, who anfwered the Trial cf the Wu^ nejfss^ ( so ) neJJeSy and the learned Author of that Trials as it afFe6ls but a Part or fingle Doclrine of Chriftian- ity may not be fo proper to feJedl our Chriftian Advocate from, as that introduced by the Author of Chriftianity not founded on Argument \ becaufe the Latter is general, and afFe6ts the whole Caufe, And as many have taken in hand to anfwer the Tradt I referred to, thereby to remove from Chrif- tianity thofe Difficulties which, according to that Performance, it may feem to be incumbered with ; fo I have fingled out Dr. Benfon from the reft to be the Chriftian's Champion, becaufe by his culti- vating the Dialogue Stile in his Difcufiions, he has rendered himfelf more popular, and by his being very copious, may be thought to carry the Weight, and Strength, of all the reft. This Gentleman has fo ftrenuoufty oppofed, in fome Parts of his Book, his enthufiaftic Brethren, and their Scheme of Chriftianity, which has been exhibited to the World, by the Author o^ Chriftianity not founded DH Argument^ as to render his own Principles a Subject of Difpute ; and has eflfecftually anfwered that Author's real Deftgn (fuppcfing him to have been a Deift) by his frequently filling full into the Scheme of the true Delfts, and tacitly, at leaft, acknowledging that all they contend againft in Chriftianity, is indefeafible on the foot of Rea- fon. Dr. Benfon having (in Page 82) roundly aflert- k1, without Hefttation or Reftridiion, that the ra- tional ( 31 ) tional and examining Believer, when he has pror- ed.all things, holds faft that which is good, and what is good, in all Cafes of Importance, may readily be diftinguifhed from what is evil ♦, I beg leave to offer the following things to Confiderati- on, which being natural Inferences from the above Poftulatum, call for a particular Regard, i. That Matters of Faith, fuch I mean as are peculiar to Chriftianity, in Contradiitinclion to fuch as are evidently eflential to natural Religion, are fo far from admitting a ready, that in their very Nature they are incapable of admitting any, Diftindlion at ^U^ to any mere human Underftanding, concern- ing what is right, or wrong, good, or evil in them J becaufe were their Truth and Goodnefs thus perceivable, they would plainly appear to be Parts of natural Religion -, and were the Contrary thus perceivable, then they would as plainly ap- pear to be no Parts of true Religion at all. 2. Therefore, according to Dr. Befifon*s own De- finition of Cafes of Importance, Matters of mere Chriftian Faith cannot be reckoned as belonging to them ; becaufe he exprefly fays what is good, in all Cafes of Importance, may readily be diftin- guifhed from what is Evil. 3. As in mere Mat- ters of Moraliry only, Reafon can readily diftin- guifli what is morally good from what is morally evil ; fo mere Matters of Morality only can, ac- cording to Dr. Benfon^ be Cafes of Importance •, that is, with regard to the Favour of God and eternal Salvation. Here> furely, it ought to be prefumed ( 32 ) prefamed that Dr. Benfon wrote what he judged to be Truth, elfe his Integrity is arraigned, and con- fequently, that he really thinks thofe Cafes only to be of Importance, in which he fiiys Good and Evil may readily be dillinguilhcd •, and in whi